IELTS Task 1 process diagram: How paper is recycled

Process diagramAcademic

The question

The diagram below shows how used paper is recycled to make new paper. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Write at least 150 words.

Recycling used paper

1CollectionUsed paper is collected from homes and offices
2SortingPaper is sorted by type and quality
3PulpingIt is shredded and mixed with water to make pulp
4CleaningStaples, plastic and glue are screened out
5De-inkingInk is removed with air bubbles and soap
6PressingThe pulp is spread out and pressed to remove water
7DryingHeated rollers dry the sheet
8RollingFinished paper is wound onto large reels

Drawn by MyBandPrep for practice.

Write your answer

Then get an estimated band, with checks on your overview, the key features and every figure.

0 words · 150 more to reach 150

Write your own answer first, then compare. Reading a model before you write tends to make you copy it.

The plan

Key features for the overview

Eight stages, from collecting waste paper to reels of new paper.
Two phases: making and cleaning pulp, then turning pulp back into paper.

How the details are grouped

Collection to de-inking: preparing clean pulp
Pressing to rolling: making paper again

Model answer

178 words

Our checker: 8.0Task 8Coherence 8Vocabulary 8Grammar 8

The diagram illustrates the process by which used paper is turned into new paper.

Overall, there are eight stages in the process, which begins with the collection of waste paper and ends with large reels of new paper. The procedure can be divided into two main phases: preparing and cleaning the pulp, and then turning that pulp back into sheets.

First, used paper is collected from homes and offices, after which it is sorted according to its type and quality. It is then shredded and mixed with water to produce a thick pulp. At the next stage, unwanted materials such as staples, plastic and glue are screened out, and the ink is removed using air bubbles and soap.

Once the pulp is clean, it is spread out and pressed in order to squeeze out as much water as possible. The resulting sheet then passes over a series of heated rollers, which dry it completely. Finally, the finished paper is wound onto large reels, at which point the material that began as waste is ready to be used again.

The highlighted paragraph is the overview. Scored by the MyBandPrep checker on 7 October 2026. An estimate, not an examiner’s mark. How scoring works

Why it works

Task Achievement: The overview counts the stages and names the start and end points, then divides the process into two phases. Every stage in the diagram is mentioned, and nothing is added that the diagram does not show.
Coherence and Cohesion: Sequencers are varied and not overused: first, then, at the next stage, once, finally. Relative phrases such as “after which” and “at which point” join stages without a list of short sentences.
Lexical Resource: Process vocabulary is precise and partly paraphrased from the labels: shredded, screened out, squeeze out, passes over, wound onto.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The passive is used throughout, as a process is about what happens to the material, not who does it. Time clauses (“Once the pulp is clean”) add range.

Phrases worth reusing

the process by which
can be divided into two main phases
after which it is sorted
at the next stage
once the pulp is clean